JI urges govt to convene emergency OIC summit on ME
Speaking at Mansoora on Friday, he stated that the recent acts of aggression in Gaza and Iran are being carried out under the patronage of the United States — a country he described as an enemy of the Muslim world. He stressed that the Muslim Ummah, along with peace-loving nations, must urgently adopt a joint strategy to counter US-Israeli aggression.
'After wreaking havoc in Iraq and Afghanistan, the US now appears determined to replicate the same destruction in Iran,' said Rehman.
'It [the US] continues to support India's blatant human rights violations in occupied Kashmir. Without Washington's backing, Israel holds no power — and yet, despite overwhelming international support for a ceasefire in Gaza, the US vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution aimed at ending the conflict. This is a deliberate push toward global warfare.'
The JI chief reaffirmed that the people of Pakistan stand firmly with the people of Iran. He called on governments of Muslim countries to reject fear of American pressure and boldly represent the sentiments of the Ummah.
Criticizing Islamabad's silence, Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman noted that despite clear threats of an expanding war — including Israel's attacks on Iran and the US signalling deeper military involvement — the government has failed to take concrete steps. 'The entire Muslim world is looking to Pakistan for leadership,' he said. 'Islamabad must rise to the occasion and play a decisive role on the issues of Gaza and Iran. If the flames of war continue to spread, it will not only engulf the Middle East but also South Asia and beyond — a catastrophe that will be impossible to contain.'
Rehman called on Muslim nations to set aside individual interests and unite for the collective good of the Ummah.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Recorder
35 minutes ago
- Business Recorder
Pakistan to dispatch17th consignment of relief goods for Gaza, Palestine today
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) is set to dispatch Pakistan's 17th consignment of relief goods for Gaza and other parts of Palestine on Sunday (today). On the instructions of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the NDMA has completed preparations to send its first consignment of 100 tonnes of relief goods to Palestine, the disaster management authority spokesperson said, adding that the relief package consists of food items and medicines. 'The first relief flight will depart from the Islamabad airport this evening. Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and NDMA Chairman Lieutenant General Inam Haider Malik will be the chief guests at the departure ceremony of the relief goods,' the NDMA spokesperson said. The 100-tonne consignment will be transported via a special flight to Amman, Jordan. Germany says 'very insufficient' aid entering Gaza Whereas, the NDMA will send a total of 200 tonnes of relief goods to Palestine, through special flights tomorrow as well. So far, on the PM's directives, the NDMA has dispatched a total of 1,715 tonnes of aid to Palestine. Gaza starving A human tragedy is unfolding in western Gaza City across a landscape of hunger, with displaced people living crammed into crowded tents, according to a United Nations' report describing the horrendous situation resulting from the Israeli blockade of the shattered enclave. Earning a living has become a daily struggle, and hundreds of men, women and children stand in endless queues, under the scorching sun, outside the few community kitchens that serve nothing but lentil soup, the report from Gaza said. A community kitchen in western Gaza reveals a panorama of painful scenes amid displaced people suffering, their cries for help and their urgent appeals to the world, demanding an end to their tragedy and relief, it said, describing the scene. After a bitter struggle, Ziad Al-Ghariz, an elderly displaced person from Gaza, managed to obtain a cup of lentil soup. He sat on the floor and began to take slow sips. He told UN News, an international media website, that he had not tasted bread for 10 consecutive days. 'I eat the lentil soup distributed by the community kitchen,' he said. 'I cannot afford flour at all. I do not have the money for it, so I try to get whatever the kitchen distributes. The people of Gaza are hungry.' Young Mohammed Nayfeh spent four hours waiting for a meal for his family, the report said. Gaza death toll hits 60,000 as global monitor demands action to avert famine 'I've been standing here for four hours, and I can't get any food in the crowds and the sun,' he said. 'We're dying. We need support. We need food and drink. Where is the world? We're dying here of hunger. Every day we eat only lentils. There's no flour, no food, no drink. We're dying of hunger.' Umm Muhammad, a displaced person from the Shujaiya neighborhood, described the macabre scene around her. 'There is no water, no food, no bread,' she said. 'The bitterness of the situation forces us to come here. In the end, we return with nothing. We either return burned under the sun or trampled underfoot due to overcrowding, and we return empty-handed. And no one listens.'
Business Recorder
5 hours ago
- Business Recorder
China and Russia start joint drills in Sea of Japan
BEIJING: China and Russia began joint naval drills in the Sea of Japan on Sunday as they seek to reinforce their partnership and counterbalance what they see as a US-led global order. Alongside economic and political ties, Moscow and Beijing have strengthened their military cooperation in recent years, and their relations have deepened since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. The 'Joint Sea-2025' exercises kicked off in waters near the Russian port of Vladivostok and would last for three days, China's defence ministry said in a statement on Sunday. The two sides will hold 'submarine rescue, joint anti-submarine, air defence and anti-missile operations, and maritime combat'. Four Chinese vessels, including guided-missile destroyers Shaoxing and Urumqi, are participating in the exercises alongside Russian ships, the ministry said. After the drills, the two countries will conduct naval patrols in 'relevant waters of the Pacific'. China and Russia have carried out annual drills for several years, with the 'Joint Sea' exercises beginning in 2012. Last year's drills were held along China's southern coast. The Chinese defence ministry said Friday that this year's exercises were aimed at 'further deepening the comprehensive strategic partnership' of the two countries. China has never denounced Russia's more than three-year war nor called for it to withdraw its troops, and many of Ukraine's allies, including the United States, believe that Beijing has provided support to Moscow. China insists it is a neutral party, regularly calling for an end to the fighting while also accusing Western countries of prolonging the conflict by arming Ukraine.
Express Tribune
6 hours ago
- Express Tribune
The new trade colonialism
On August 1, as the clock struck midnight Eastern Time, a new era in global trade was inaugurated — one that might be remembered not for its reciprocity or fairness, but for the brute leverage of American power. With the rollout of sweeping new reciprocal tariffs under President Donald Trump's so-called 'Liberation Day' strategy, dozens of nations were forced into last-minute trade deals that, beneath the surface, bear a striking resemblance to the 'unequal treaties' of the 19th century. Only this time, they were not written at gunpoint, but under threat of economic coercion. The United States, claiming to be correcting trade deficits and restoring domestic manufacturing, has essentially coerced trading partners into accepting higher tariffs, ceding regulatory ground and committing to strategic economic realignments, all while ensuring minimal concessions on its own part. For countries such as Vietnam and Indonesia, and even the European Union, the consequences could be far-reaching, reshaping industrial policies, altering investment incentives and, most importantly, undermining economic sovereignty. The Trump administration's public rationale for this aggressive trade overhaul is the need to rebalance global trade deficits. The claim is straightforward: the US has been losing in trade and it's time to 'even the playing field.' However, this rhetoric masks a complex and asymmetric web of tariffs and conditions that belie the supposed principle of reciprocity. Take Vietnam, for instance. Under its deal with Washington, Hanoi agreed to a 20% tariff on most exports to the US, plus a staggering 40% levy on transshipped goods; a direct blow to Vietnam's unique status as a production hub for global giants like Foxconn, Apple, Intel, and Nike. With 71.7% of Vietnamese exports coming from foreign-invested enterprises, this transshipment clause is more than a customs technicality; it strikes at the heart of Vietnam's export-driven growth model. In return Vietnam was pressured into offering zero tariffs on select US imports, including large-engine automobiles, an almost negligible sector in Vietnam's domestic market but a significant win for US exporters. Indonesia, similarly, secured a slightly lower tariff rate — 19% instead of the initially threatened 32% — but only by agreeing to purchase US Boeing aircraft and remove or reduce various trade barriers. Beyond tariffs, the deals increasingly intrude upon the internal economic policies of sovereign states. Embedded in these trade arrangements are demands regarding "transshipment restrictions" and "supply chain security" — vague yet powerful instruments that allow the US to dictate how and where its partners manufacture goods. These clauses give Washington indirect influence over national industrial strategies, particularly in countries where foreign direct investment forms the backbone of growth. For the European Union, the stakes are no less severe. The deal demanded a $600 billion investment from EU states into the US economy, effectively exporting European capital and potentially jobs to American soil. Even more contentious is the clause requiring the EU to buy $750 billion worth of US energy over three years, a move that French officials bluntly called 'capitulation.' Energy policy, long considered a pillar of national sovereignty, is now subordinated to bilateral trade enforcement mechanisms. In trade diplomacy, access to the US consumer market is perhaps the most coveted prize. The Trump administration has weaponised this leverage to extract far-reaching concessions. For some countries, the alternative to signing a deal is punitive: Mexico faces a 25% blanket tariff and Canada, a top US trading partner, could see tariffs of up to 35% on goods not compliant with the existing USMCA. Meanwhile, India — despite being dubbed a 'friend' by Trump — has been hit with a 25% tariff across the board, plus an unspecified penalty tied to its energy dealings with Russia. Such measures reinforce the view that these 'agreements' are less about trade and more about aligning partners with US geopolitical objectives. Even where countries managed to avoid worst-case tariffs, the deals were often asymmetrical. South Korea, for example, agreed to a 15% tariff rate on its exports while pledging $350 billion in US investments and granting zero tariffs on American agricultural and automobile exports. These are not trade negotiations in the traditional sense. They are economic ultimatums wrapped in diplomatic language. Ironically, while these deals are framed as a win for American workers, they may end up harming US consumers and industries. According to the Yale Budget Lab, the average US household could face $2,400 in additional annual costs due to higher prices on imported goods — effectively a hidden tax. Moreover, American industries that rely on foreign components, like electronics, pharmaceuticals, and textiles, will face disrupted supply chains and rising production costs. This suggests that the primary beneficiaries of these aggressive trade deals are not US consumers or workers, but rather a political narrative built around economic nationalism and short-term geopolitical gains. What makes these modern trade pacts so unsettling is how closely they echo the 'unequal treaties' of colonial history. In the 19th century, Western powers extracted lopsided agreements from Asian nations, forcing them to open ports, accept foreign jurisdiction and buy unwanted goods. Today, the US is not demanding extraterritorial rights, but it is imposing conditions that interfere with national industrial policies, force purchases of US products, and limit the autonomy of states to craft their own trade strategies. In the longer term, this coercive trade strategy may backfire by undermining the very multilateral institutions that have governed global trade for decades. The World Trade Organisation, already weakened, is increasingly sidelined as bilateral power politics dominate. Meanwhile, countries that feel cornered by US tactics may seek alternative trading blocs, perhaps turning to China, regional groupings, or even forming counter-alliances. Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas, chief economist at the IMF, warned this week of the broader risk: 'Restoring stability in trade policy is essential to reduce policy uncertainty… Collective efforts should be made to restore and improve the global trading system,' Al Jazeera quoted him as saying. His words are a plea not just for economic sanity, but for the preservation of a rules-based order. While the US has every right to renegotiate trade terms that it deems unfair, fairness must be mutual. These new 'agreements,' far from establishing equitable exchange, are imposing a 21st-century version of the unequal treaty — a shift that may have profound consequences for global diplomacy, development and international economic cooperation.
